As new talents like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark enter the WNBA, there is ongoing talk about improving the overall athlete experience in the league. Less than a day after debuting in the WNBA for the Chicago Sky, Reese shared an old 2021 message on X from her teammate Brianna Turner.
The experienced forward discussed player safety and suggested that some fans overstep boundaries by lingering around the team hotel. Here was Turner’s original message shared on X on September 27, 2021.
“Fans should not be allowed to linger in our hotel lobby all day and night to wait for us to sign things,” Turner said at the time. “Also, fans waiting at baggage claim or check-in at airports that don’t even have flights 🤯 [Of course] I appreciate people that support the W, but sometimes I feel like a line is crossed.”
Reese seems to have thoughts on the issue but admitted she felt like she “can’t say” what is on her mind regarding the issue. The newest Sky star echoed Turner’s old message with a brief note of her own.
“One thing I count on is for Breezy to say the things I want to say that I can’t say😭 WWWWWW TEAMMATE! 😭💖,” Reese said on May 4,2024 as she shared Turner’s message.
WNBA News: Angel Reese & Brianna Turner Are Speaking Out Against Fans Waiting at Team Hotels
As we see increased interest in the WNBA, the league will likely need to keep addressing some of these issues brought up by the players. Turner responded to Reese’s message by noting her previous words are “still relevant years later.”
In particular, it appears the players are referring to adults who are waiting for autographs. These items often end up for sale on the secondary market.
“Still relevant years later 🫠 I’m not speaking on children, but if it’s adults, especially resellers of trading cards/ pictures/ etc just come to a game instead to get your memorabilia signed,” Turner remarked in a May 4 message on X.
Ahead of her preseason debut, Clark was seen in a Dallas airport with a security presence. This will likely continue to be a topic of discussion with the increased star power added to the W with the likes of Clark, Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Angel Reese Nearly Achieved a Double-Double in Her WNBA Debut
Angel Reese had a near double-double in her FIRST game as a WNBA player 👀 pic.twitter.com/F49tty4Wbb
— ESPN (@espn) May 4, 2024
Some of the WNBA star rookies made their preseason debut on Friday, May 3. Reese almost had a double-double with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in the team’s 11-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Clark lost in her debut but also had an impressive individual showing. The Indiana Fever guard scored 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in her first preseason game. The Fever lost to the Dallas Wings in heartbreaking fashion as guard Arike Ogunbowale hit a game-winning three.
Reese and the Sky have one more preseason game left against the New York Liberty on May 7. The former LSU star is expected to make her regular-season WNBA debut on May 15 as the Sky take on the Wings.
